Beat FiveRiver Frome Fly Fishing Beat

Beat Five is the longest beat on the East Burton Estate, running 1 mile along the main River Frome in Dorset. Parking is through the caravan park and down a narrow, hedge-lined track. Fishing starts on the right-hand bank; at the ford, anglers swap to the left. It's a genuinely wild stretch, and one favoured by salmon and sea trout anglers, though it has also produced grayling to 3lb and wild brown trout to 6lb: a beat for the angler prepared to work for a fish rather than expect one. The estate maintains a good head of wild brown trout, with light supplementary stocking on the main river, and grayling are plentiful. Fly only is the rule, with upstream dry fly and nymph covering both species across the season. The Frome opens in April with strong grannom hatches, followed by hawthorn fly and blue-winged olives, then mayfly from late May into June bringing larger fish to the surface; after mayfly, evening falls of spinners and sedges extend the dry fly fishing, with pale wateries and blue-winged olives producing daytime rises through to the end of the season. The Frome is less affected by abstraction than any other chalk stream, and the fishing holds up well throughout as a result. The river has three times produced the British grayling record, each fish over four pounds. Salmon and sea trout can also be fished through the hatch pools and runs on this beat. Day tickets start from £50 during the main season. Grayling days are available from £35. Accommodation can be arranged through the estate, and a riverside hamper, lovingly prepared by the estate and full of home-made breads and pastries, can be ordered and delivered to the beat at a time of your choosing.